To the Grave
by Lord Hierarch
Summary: On the eve of my victory...


Disclaimer: I do not own Halo.

Well, this is the first time I've published a piece of fanfiction in a while. This is an oldie from a few months back. I can't find the revised version so I'm afraid this will have to signal my return. As with the next few stories, they're unedited so bear with the errors, if you can. If you can't then I'm sorry. I do try to give my stories a quick look over.

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"You persist too long after your own defeat."

Floating down behind the human, Didact felt an inkling of rage overcome his pity for this human. He could see the Librarians handiwork in him. His stance, his stature, the way he moved was all too similar to the warriors that he faced a hundred thousand years ago. Even in death his wife continued to oppose him, and for what? The humans who had dared take the Mantle of Responsibility without fully understanding the principles behind it? The humans who murdered his children and condemned billions trying to fight an enemy they would not disclose to their neighbors? He did not understand why she loved them so.

Now he would prove her love for them wrong.

His feet hovering a meter off the hardlight bridge leading towards the Composer's power source – a slipspace reactor the likes of which had only been theorized at the apex of his career – he spoke. "Come then, Warrior. Have your resolution."

In the blink of an enemy the human turned around, his fingers closing around his weapon's trigger. In an instant the Didact batted the human away with a wave of his hand. The constraint field parted the human from his weapon and the nuclear device he carried with him. The weapon fell into the raging portal beneath the two ancient rivals as the human skidded to a stop and glared at the Forerunner. '_Do you honestly believe you can defeat me, human_?' The Didact wondered, seeing the stubborn look behind that golden visor.

To his surprise rather than fight the human dashed for the nuclear device dangling at the edge of the light bridge. '_You intend to kills us both along with the Composer. As noble as ever. And yet…_'

Extending his constraint field the Didact telekinetically grabbed the human in mid-lunge. The armored human struggled fruitlessly against his restraints as the Didact guided him back.

'_I wish to see champion of Mankind with my own eyes._'

The world became duller as the Didact removed his helmet and inspected the worn figure before him. The combat skin the human wore was laughably primitive and bore the signs of countless battles. The color was faded and there were many burn marks and scratches on it. He could see what the Librarian saw in this particular human, the pinnacle of her meddling with their evolution. It was a shame that this 'Master Chief' was fighting for a people already lost. It was obvious that the Librarian had tricked him during their brief talk.

He wondered if she had said anything good about him.

He had played long enough. If this human was all that stood between him and humanity's imprisonment then there was little point in wasting time when he had many more humans to encrypt.

"So misguided."

He projected the constraint field outward and dangled this Master Chief off the edge of the bridge. Even now the human continued to struggle. His armor's energy shield flared and flickered against the field as the human tried to weaponized his defenses. But without his Ancilla it was an impossible task. His armor was not advanced enough to accomplish such a task.

Yet, he could not kill this Master Chief. Not yet.

The Didact frowned lightly, wondering why. Justification. That was it. Before he died, he wanted this human to know _why _he had to die. He wanted at least one human to know that what he was doing wasn't out of spite, not anymore, but to free them from the sins of the past. The humans of his time had been savage, xenophobic and utterly ruthless to the races that did not submit to their will. In the brief time he studied modern human history he saw the wars they went through, the sacrifices they made the anger they held towards each other.

If they hated themselves so much then the Didact could only imagine the hate they would have for other races. This Covenant had only intensified those feelings long buried.

He clenched his fist, unconsciously choking the human.

That was why he was going to encrypt the human race. If they continued down this path they would not become the caretakers that the Librarian had seen in them. Their potential as bearers of the Mantle of Responsibility had come and passed. The humans had let the opportunity slip between their grasp. But he, he understood what it meant to bear the Mantle. He was, as far as he knew, the last of the Forerunners and so it was up to him alone to safeguard the galaxy. Even after their extinction the humans would continue to serve and protect. He would curb their aggression towards others and guide it towards those who do the galaxy harm. As his Knights he would lead a cleansing fire that would wipe out the many menaces that had surely dared to fester in this galaxy since the Halo Effect.

"Humanity's imprisonment," he began, "is a kindness."

"In that case, you won't mind if we return the favor."

The Didact nearly let go of this Master Chief in surprise as his multiple copies of the human Ancilla rose out of the light bridge. So, the Ancilla had managed to evade capture? He had underestimated her, but then he was fighting against those chosen by his wife. He should have expected that those that his wife had chosen would not be easily beaten.

"Your compassion for mankind is misplaced."

The Ancilla's laughed bitterly. "I'm not doing this for mankind."

'_What_?'

Before he could react the Ancilla's leapt out of the bridge and wrapped their hardlight bodies around his armor. He let out a cry of alarm as they formed chains of light around his arms and legs. His constraint field collapsed and he saw the human grab the edge of the light bridge before he fell. "You would sacrifice yourself for the human?" He demanded. "You have the knowledge of all of human history inside of you, Ancilla You know what mankind is capable of. They will destroy this galaxy. I am trying to _save _them from themselves!"

"Don't give me that," he heard the Ancilla say. "Please. Stop acting like you give a damn. You're doing this out of spite."

The human was pulling himself up now.

"You don't care about the Mantle," she continued, her voice in sync with that of a thousand broken shards. Madness, the Didact realized – this Ancilla was insane! "You don't care about the galaxy. You just want to finish the job you started a hundred thousand years ago."

"You know nothing."

"I know enough that you don't care about anyone!"

'_I promise you. Nothing will stand between us._'

The Didact snarled. "I grow weary of you babbling."

The human dashed forward, a pulse grenade in hand but at that moment the Didact projected the constraint field outward and broke free of the chains. He punched the human away, stripping him of his energy shields started forward but the chains reformed around his legs, impeding his movement. Still this Ancilla continued to resist! Did she truly love this human, or was it simple obligation to her caretaker? Enraged at how this human hand his Ancilla pet continued to challenge him he began choking the human from afar.

Die! Why would he not die already? He was Forerunner, a guardian of all that existed. He was a Warrior-Servant, a Promethean. Whenever the galaxy was threatened it was up to him to lead the Ecumene's Warrior caste against the enemy. He had argued against exterminating the humans because he saw the potential in them. But their arrogance, their pride in refusing to admit their mistakes and their capability of cruelty disgusted him so. Even now he continued to protect them. But they resisted. They did not understand, no one did.

His wife betrayed him.

Bornstellar abandoned him.

His _people _shunned him.

'_Just. Die_.'

At that moment, the pulse grade detonated.

The Didact gasped and reeled back as his armor took the brunt of the blow, dispersing the energy wave. Dazed and confused by what just happened, he looked up and saw the human staring at him – and he was getting smaller. Why? Come back human, and die at my hands!

His shield flickered as they wrapped his body in a glistening cocoon.

'_Even in death, you would choose them over me_.'


End file.
